Abstract

We present an overview of our results demonstrating a large, charge-driven, magnetoelectric coupling in epitaxial Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3/La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 (PZT/LSMO) multiferroicheterostructures. Measurements of the magnetization as a function of temperature and applied electric field using magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry show a large change in the magnetic critical temperature and magnetic moment of the LSMO layer for the two states of the PZT ferroelectric polarization, which modulates the charge-carrier concentration at the LSMO interface. Near-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements show directly that the valence state of Mn is modulated by the PZTpolarization state, demonstrating that the magnetoelectric coupling in these PZT/LSMO multiferroicheterostructures is purely electronic in origin. From the combined spectroscopic, magnetic, and electric characterization, we conclude that both the interfacial spin state and spin configuration are modulated electrostatically. This ability of controlling spin by means of electric fields opens a new venue for the development of novel spin-based devices.

Received 13 October 2010Accepted 08 November 2010Published online 21 March 2011

Acknowledgments:

This work was supported by NSFDMR 1006256, NSFDMR 0520495 (CRISP), and FENA. Use of the Advanced Photon Source was supported by the DOE, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.